Chapter 121

Home from the mountain, Qi Qian'er hid her blushes a good long while, and only after the New Year was passed did household business force her to Yanjing for half a month.

By the first month of the fourth year of Yong'an, Qi Qian'er, who had been a mother before, was sure she was with child, and from then the stone in her heart fell away, and she was wholly at ease.

She was happy past all bearing, and often sat up late into the night sewing little clothes and little coats.

As for the pregnancy, she told no one. By common folk's rule, you waited till the third month was safely past before you spoke of it.

And she truly wanted it safe.

Once Yanjing had no more to-dos and there was no call to go out and keep up appearances, she went happily back to Guard Lane with Father. Funnily enough, she cherished Guard Lane, and Father loved it too.

These days he didn't care to stay in the mansion either, but often hunkered down at the old homestead, watching a heap of fat little girls of Guard Lane roll about the kang, laughing like an old fool.

The family was out of mourning now, and Qi Qian'er in good spirits, so of the invitations sent by the neighbors of Guard Lane she picked a few and began to go about. There was no dodging it, you had to go out sometime.

Early this day Qi Qian'er wore a small flower-crown set with jade and sprigs of flowers, and a gown of bright peacock gauze. Her thin hair had long since fallen out and grown back black as cloud, and without any false hair worked in she could sweep up a high knot with a little elm-shaving water.

These two years, when Quanhou Street spoke of the Chen house's fourth mistress, they'd always add a word of praise, that mistress had a fine head of hair, a sheen no ink could paint.

Only those who'd grown old knew that the right years were the years to wear bold reds and greens, how precious those bright colors were, and that if you didn't wear them when your age was just right you'd not be able to carry them later.

So Qi Qian'er hung every color of brocade on herself, no care at all for elegance, straining only for a riot of color, and even so Chen Dasheng said it was fine, even praised her as the first beauty under heaven.

Here was a country boy who'd seen a few years of the world, and he knew not a damn thing! And Qi Qian'er knew not a damn thing either!

Anyhow, dear had its reasons. What if colored brocade and k'o-ssu silk cost an inch of gold an inch? We've money, buy it! One outfit not enough, heh heh, then make it four.

Luckily Qi Qian'er had come into herself, her face following her nature. Her features now were bright and striking, not beauty of the highest order, but she had a presence no one else had, yes, that was the word, when she was there everyone else was overshadowed by her.

She was bold too, and could carry off any color at all, and loved bright red most of all, so that when she passed by she was like a ball of fire, hot as if she might set Quanhou Street alight any moment.

Dressed and ready, Qi Qian'er sent someone to call Chai-shi and Zhang Wanru to go with her to the Tang house for a flower-viewing party.

Qi Qian'er had no use for the Tang house's second and third branches, but of the Tang old lady and Tang Jiuyuan's wife Li-shi she had no bad impression.

Never mind the second when you've an eldest. Her own family had a Chen Siniu, and a Madam Qiao too.

Say nothing else of it. In her last life, on the day of Chen Dasheng's funeral, she'd trudged back alone from the graveyard with every hope dead in her, and on the road found a little sedan waiting for her? The woman waiting said she was from the Tang house, that the family's old matriarch, fearing something might happen to her alone, had sent people to wait there and see her home... That was a kindness of coals in the snow.

Small though it was, it was a kindness she'd remember all her life.

Scabby had said too, when he came back, that if the Tang house invited her she should go and sit a while when a card came. Tang Jiuyuan was a fine man, thorough and refined and good-tempered. Over Guan Si'er's case especially, the man had put in great effort.

And don't make light of this "sitting a while" of Qi Qian'er's. Barring accidents she was a future commandery-princess, as sure as a nail in a board, her husband with much backing, and both of them started high, their prospects beyond measure.

The Tang house wasn't far from the Chen, and to take a cart and a great train of servants would be real affectation, a show put on on purpose.

So the three, sisters-in-law in a loose sense, each took a single maid and strolled over to the Tang house, so near a sedan-chair wasn't worth the trouble.

Tang Jiuyuan's wife Li-shi had sent cards to all the mistresses of Guard Lane, but a pity, hers was a flower-viewing poetry party, and Ding Yuniang especially still dared not socialize, but so long as she lived well, Yu Qingguan thanked the Buddha.

As for the rest, each had her own reasons not to come.

How to describe this Li-shi? Qi Qian'er was willful, but Li-shi's willfulness ran stronger than Qi Qian'er's.

A great house's trueborn youngest daughter, doted on from childhood, so willful that out of Li Zhang's whole crowd of students she picked the handsomest to marry, and the family actually let her have her way.

Even among the nobility there were grades, and she'd married down into the Tang house, held up by the whole family, her husband's parents never crossing her, her sisters-in-law not daring to vie with her. Her life was easy, every day free and idle, sipping tea and viewing flowers, drinking wine under the moon...

Tang Jiuyuan took his ease, she did as she pleased, and not even a princess lived as sweetly as she.

Li-shi was willful and proud, and what she didn't like she didn't like, and aside from her husband's parents there was no one she esteemed. In all Quanhou Street, outside of Guard Lane, she admired the old sabers' blood and nerve, admired She Qingling's backbone, and as for money and family and the like, she gave them not a glance.

Most people hadn't her birth, and the rest hadn't her dowry.

A noblewoman never let her disdain show on her face. They were seldom angry, for the great bustle of their carriages and horses hedged them round, and no one could come near them.

If anyone did provoke them, they needn't lift a hand themselves, for there'd be those quick to trim their sails to the wind.

When Qi Qian'er reached the Tang house, Li-shi met her in person inside the second gate, and seeing Qi Qian'er dressed so finely today, took her arm and said, "Is the fourth mistress come to steal my thunder?"

She too wore a small flower-crown today, but the jade of it was not so good as Qi Qian'er's.

She wore brocade today, but brocade of the old stored kind, while Qi Qian'er wore new gauze.

This flower-crown of Qi Qian'er's, her father-in-law had given her the storehouse keys and let her pick as she pleased, and a thing made by the old dynasty's imperial workshops was naturally fine.

In good spirits, Qi Qian'er said frankly, "That's right. And where's the eldest madam's thunder kept? Let me snatch it and rumble a bit?"

Pride carried to its end turns into a taste for being taken down a peg, and over a few meetings Qi Qian'er had figured it out, this woman was purely spoiled by her parents.

Snubbed, Li-shi only smiled, not minding in the least, and greeted Zhang Wanru and Chai-shi.

Greetings done, she asked Qi Qian'er quietly, "They say the old gentleman seems to be at home over here?"

She meant She Qingling. Maimed in body though the prince was, yet for that very lack, that bitter, enduring strength, his outstanding gifts with the brush, his biding of his time, his decisiveness in the kill, his knowing when to withdraw at the flood... in short, no one knew how many girls in all Great Liang, thinking of him, ached to the liver with it, their feeling for him truly reverence and love and pity all at once... ahem.

Even women of She Qingling's own age, say what you would, still looked on him with longing in their eyes, loving him past all stopping.

Of course Qi Qian'er knew of this, and couldn't for the life of her see what was so desirable about her own father, who troubled himself with nothing, planted vegetables barefoot, filched a taste of the girls' vegetable-gruel, wouldn't get up before the sun was three poles high, and now and then picked at his feet.

She nodded. "My father, oh yes! He's at home, oh, by now he'll have a shabby basket on his arm, up the mountain digging spring greens."

Li-shi, delighted, turned and gave orders. "Go, pick out ten of the February-orchids just sent from the capital, add the good apricot branches cut this morning, and send them all to the fourth mistress's house."

Let her send what she liked to send, Qi Qian'er didn't stop her, and only went with her to the eldest branch's court.

The Tang house had the foundation of an old family, and the moment you stepped in you could see their order was good, the maids and servants coming and going with a particular savor in their movements, you couldn't say what savor, but it was just the kind Father liked best.

Qi Qian'er praised it inwardly, but didn't see that, entering the second court, a woman was pressed to a crack in a rough door, peering at her eagerly through it.

Tang Jiuyuan and Li-shi had a three-court chessboard house to themselves, with a garden on their side, a kitchen, a newly built little opera-stage, and their accounts kept privately apart from the main accounts.

And old and young of the Tang house said nothing of it.

Before they'd even entered the court a faint scent met them, the plain, natural kind, and stepping in they saw the courtyard heaped tier on tier with countless blue-violet February-orchids, a very fairyland.

To match the flowers' color, the maids' dress in this court, the light gauze fluttering in the spring breeze, the dishes the guests ate and drank from, even the tassels on the few famous qin set out for the guests to play, were all blue-violet.

When true noblewomen held a gathering, they'd arrange it down to the smallest detail, and even the women who came to it would, in dress and adornment, strive for an effect fit to step into a painting.

No vying, no grabbing, all in the detail, aiming at a single unified effect.

A pity Qi Qian'er understood none of this, nor needed to. In she swept, bright as flame, and no one said anything, but two girls seated in places of honor felt a touch of displeasure.

The two girls were plainly new faces, not of Quanhou Street, their features with a soft, fine, southern cast to them. They were exceedingly beautiful, the kind of beauty that struck even a woman to see.

The young girls had been treated as treasures the whole way from their home country, and even at the Tang house were received as honored guests.

But before they'd even got settled, a ball of flame came swaying in, and everyone rose and swept over to greet her, and the limelight was stolen from them.

Young as they were, one hid her mouth behind a round fan and asked those beside her in a low voice, "Who is that?"

Her tone was plainly put out, but those around her didn't answer, only smiled politely and went together to Qi Qian'er to make their proper bows and greetings.

Only when they'd sat down again did someone murmur beside the two girls, "You young ladies had best mind yourselves. This may be Qingfeng, but that is the first household of Guard Lane, Madam Huo, the managing mistress of Prince Rui'an's house."

Before coming to the capital the girls had been coached by their elders, and hearing who it was they dared not be proud any longer, and one even stuck out her little tongue playfully. "Oh, so it's this great lady."

"Just so, it's her indeed. The young lady's still not steady enough."

This one's father was the old patriarch of the eunuchs, her husband the young patriarch of the palace folk. The chief of the little demons before King Yama, offend whoever you like, but not her.

Li-shi asked Qi Qian'er to sit in the center, but Qi Qian'er shook her head and kept to one side. "I can scarcely read a big character, I'll not sit there. Never mind writing verses and painting, you lot change the hand and the same big character splits into greater and lesser seal script, running and cursive and clerical and I-don't-know-what, and in a blink I can't tell what it is. If I made a fool of myself I'd spoil your spring-outing flower-contest fun. You play, I'll just watch."

The words were generous, and claimed no first place, and at them everyone laughed together.

Then the beautiful girl seated in the middle, her face heaped with a honey-sweet smile, said, "Don't be afraid, mistress, all we contest today is February-orchids, and the loser drinks wine and makes no verse..." She stuck out her tongue prettily. "I, I can't do it well either."

Who doesn't like a pretty thing?

Qi Qian'er looked at the girl and said to Li-shi in mock astonishment, "Say, you've got two fairies sitting in on your flower-contest? With a pair like that being lovely over there, the flowers themselves would die of shame."

Everyone laughed, and the girl, embarrassed by it, bowed her head, the heart she'd been holding up at last set down.

But Li-shi's face stayed cool, and as the others began again to play the qin and view the flowers, to laugh and paint, she said quietly beside Qi Qian'er, "Those two came through my house's old matriarch, distant kin! They say they're to be chosen for the Second Prince."

At this Qi Qian'er was a little startled, thinking of that old matriarch who fasted and told her beads and would lend a hand in her last life to a person of no standing at all... well... never mind, everyone has two faces, and was she herself any different?

She raised her fan over her mouth, rolled her eyes for another look, and said to Li-shi, "I'll say, they really are lovely. You remember that Ruiniang from our street? At the time I thought beauty to that degree was the very top, and who'd have thought one could be lovely as this? Truly, these two little faces, anyone with a drop of ink in him would write a hundred long poems at the sight of them... tsk, tsk, tsk."

In fact the Emperor doted on this sort too, and who'd have thought his son did as well.

Li-shi stifled a laugh and lightly swatted Qi Qian'er with her butterfly-painted fan.

Had Qi Qian'er not mentioned Ruiniang, Li-shi wouldn't have thought of the person, but her younger brother was always about near the Emperor, so she knew a thing or two, and now she drew a little closer to Qi Qian'er, without the look of whispering, and said with a smile, "Don't tell me your husband never told you?"

Qi Qian'er blinked. "Told me what? I never ask after these things. Look at the Board-of-Personnel lane now, the endless coming and going of carriages, all bound for the Peng house, isn't it because they've a consort in the palace now!"

At this Li-shi was piqued, and said, "Pah! How many beauties have you even seen? She's quite ordinary, her one virtue the tender-flower age, youth just at its best. That one wormed her way in long ago and is still only a Picked Maiden, fooling those outside who don't know the ins and outs, and consort indeed? About on a par with the eighty-one lesser palace women of the old books... In the end, in truth, it comes down to this."

Li-shi patted her own belly, meaning not literary gifts, the Emperor was a rough man who knew not a damn thing of verse, but wits and character.

With so many women shut up in one palace, if your spirit were the least bit weak, you'd not need others to do you harm, you'd wear out your days alone as in a prison, and never live long at all.

Seeing Li-shi pat her belly, Qi Qian'er without thinking patted her own, and just then the maids brought hot tea, but Qi Qian'er had them change it for plain water.

Li-shi's eyes lit at the sight, and she asked quietly, "Are you expecting?"

For all this one meddled in nothing, her eye for a thing was ten times keener than the capable Zhang Wanru's.

Qi Qian'er swatted her with the fan, and she dropped it at once.

They talked fondly a few words more, then Li-shi rose to attend the others, composing a verse offhand on the way. Qi Qian'er couldn't tell good from bad in it, but Zhang Wanru and Chai-shi praised it, and even had the maid beside them write it down carefully, saying they'd savor it at home.

Look how Li-shi lived, outshining a whole crowd of women by her literary gift. She spared no cost on her parties, and everyone enjoyed themselves thoroughly, and after a while of laughing, pretty maids in smart dress led little wooden carts hung with colored ribbons, loaded with the February-orchids contested today, round for the guests to admire one by one.

The carts were called "moving-spring rails." Qi Qian'er had come empty-handed, but she had her flower-cart too, and those women she knew and got on with composed verses and hung them on it for her.

There was no need to contest a win or loss, it was just for the joy of it.

Just as everyone was deep in the merriment, a woman in a purple gown slipped quietly in, swept the room with her eyes, and step by step drew near Qi Qian'er.

Before Qi Qian'er had looked at more than a few carts of flowers, she caught a great cloud of sharp, nose-stinging scent.

"Aiyo! Who's this! My respects to the fourth mistress, how long has it been? You still remember me, surely?"

Qi Qian'er pressed her handkerchief to her face, a wave of nausea rising in her, and began to retch.

Zhang Wanru started, and said to the woman at once, "Your pardon, stand back a little... my sister-in-law here is a bit unwell today, and that scent on you rather clashes with her..."

This woman was the Tang house's second branch's, in truth not even a mistress, but the concubine who ran the second branch in a mistress's stead.

The woman, a little awkward, laughed drily and stepped back a pace or two, and afraid of offending Qi Qian'er, made her apologies and quickly withdrew to one side.

Li-shi came over quickly, glared at the woman first, inwardly cursing the gatekeepers for not keeping watch, but with no time to pursue it only fussed in a flurry round Qi Qian'er. "Had I known you were like this, I'd never have asked you here. If anything went wrong with you I couldn't answer for it."

Qi Qian'er was ill a good while before she said, "I, this is the first time I've been sick..."

At this Zhang Wanru sprang up. "You, you're, you're expecting?"

Qi Qian'er had consummated the marriage before the year's end, and since then the young couple had been more apart than together, and everyone thought she'd conceive sooner or later, sooner or later, and she being hardy, up early every day and going about as always, no one had thought much of it.

Li-shi bustled within and without as if wheels of wind and fire were under her feet, struck with afterfright, the least thing gone wrong, and who could answer for it? Not the whole Tang house.

Without waiting for Qi Qian'er to take her leave, Li-shi had a sedan-chair readied, and everyone clustered round Qi Qian'er, and she was carried home all the way.

Only after Qi Qian'er had gone did the woman who'd tried to curry favor spit, her face pale, and mutter, "Tsk, who's never carried a child? Such a fuss. I've borne four..."

But a pity, before she'd done muttering, two women rushed out from inside, bundled her up, and hauled her off into the inner quarters.

There was one thing Li-shi dared not mention. Tang Jiuyuan's younger brother was a philanderer by nature who plucked every flower, and the second-branch mistress had long since given up all hope and spent her days at her sutras, and this concubine left in that court, though she'd borne several children, guarded against others year-round, and carried scent made to force on morning-sickness.

Qi Qian'er knew nothing of this, but her bout of morning-sickness got that lording, bullying second-branch concubine sent off by the Tang house to a little Buddha-hall to be reformed the better part of a year, and by the time she'd barely endured her way out, half the second court was big-bellied.

Grudges come just so, out of nowhere. That second-branch little mistress hated Qi Qian'er in her heart, and her brat later, trading on his years, tried to bully An'er at the school, and was then beaten by a pack of An'er's elder sisters...

Not long after Qi Qian'er was carried home, Master Cheng was fetched from next door, and he didn't come alone, but together with Snow-aunt, long unseen.

When She Qingling came back from his stroll on Baiquan Mountain and came in the gate, he saw the old lady kneeling in her courtyard bowing every which way, so overcome there were no words for it, who dared not weep before, but now with old tears streaming down in utter devotion.

She Qingling, surprised, hurried over and asked, "Mother, what are you doing?"

The old lady, her eyes full of tears, lifted her face. "Son! Quick, quick, kneel and make a bow, your Star-Lord grandson has come."

"What are you saying?" She Qingling didn't follow, and was pulled by the old lady to kneel on the ground.

The old lady gave him a slap. "Kowtow, quick, why so full of words? It's a good thing! Your grandson's come, a Star-Lord! Do you know what a Star-Lord is..."

She Qingling was near laughing with exasperation, and said, "What grandson of mine, what Star-Lord? How would I have... eh?"

He looked around in glad surprise, and being a man couldn't show it too much, but overjoyed inside, knelt in silence behind the old lady and bowed devoutly.

What the child's surname was truly didn't matter to him, whose grandson it was mattered not at all, but a home had to have what a home should have, a sharp-tempered old lady, a grandfather full of verse and letters, a father who stood firm as the sky, a gentle, loving mother, and a few naughty little ones to make the courtyard loud with the life of the world.

He'd waited for this day what felt like several lifetimes.

Inside, Qi Qian'er had caught her breath at last and stopped being sick.

In her last life she'd been heavy with care, and the moment she conceived had taken a turn for the worse, sicker by far than now, and so she thought nothing of it.

Master Cheng wrote out a pregnancy-safeguarding prescription and handed it to Zhang Wanru. "Here, have it filled and kept on hand, but don't take it if you can help it. Truly it's no flattery, the little sister-in-law's frame is stronger than a man's. Look, this is only the standard prescription. The sickness is just beginning, and in a few days she'll be a good deal worse... time enough to fill it and take it then."

Zhang Wanru nodded and turned to send someone to fill the prescription and keep it ready.

Amid the bustle in the room, Snow-aunt leaned at the head of the bed and curiously reached out to feel Qi Qian'er's belly.

In fact these recent days neither Snow-aunt nor Madam Cheng had been home, and Master Cheng said they'd gone back to their home country, without saying when they'd return.

Snow-aunt had the look of a grown girl now, of fine bearing, clear and pure as ice and jade, clean as a figure of snow.

Qi Qian'er was fond of her, and let her feel her belly, and said with a smile, "An'er's still small, you can't feel him yet. When he's big, you can carry him off and be naughty with him."

Snow-aunt was startled. "An'er, that sounds like a boy's name."

Qi Qian'er said firmly, "It is a boy!"

Unexpectedly Master She's voice came from outside the window. "Boy or girl, isn't it a child of our house, and loved the same? What are you dreaming up?"

Hearing her father's rebuke, Qi Qian'er dared not speak, but Snow-aunt, who seemed in fine spirits, stroked her belly and said, "Mm, your father's right! A boy's good, a girl's good, both are your child... you should cherish it, that's the thing. And I'll tell you, our Wanning's to be a father too, but it'll be an elder sister to this one, and they'll be close in age, so later I can take them to play together."

Qi Qian'er looked at Master Cheng in surprise, and he nodded, his smile a little forced. "Ai, seven months along now, a girl."

Zhang Wanru happened to come in just then, and hearing it laughed. "The feng-shui of our Guard Lane is the oddest thing, count up how many little flowers there'll be with yours added! Just right, growing up together for company, and with many sisters this life they'll not be lonely."

That careless word of hers turned Master Cheng's smile real.

He even nodded. "That's just it, that's it! Living here was the right thing after all, company, many sisters..."

Anyone could see Master Cheng had something on his mind, and Qi Qian'er raised a brow at Snow-aunt, but Snow-aunt shook her head earnestly, no expression on her face at all.

Master Cheng gave some cautions, and the Chen house being thick with people come to offer congratulations, he took Snow-aunt and left, slipping quietly back next door.

His courtyard was as big as the Chen house's, but theirs was warm with the life of the world, and his cold as a hollow of snow.

Master Cheng went to the east room, set down his medicine-chest, and turned to Madam Cheng, who sat sewing on the kang. "Dasheng's wife is expecting."

On the old kang, half of it was heaped with baby things, swaddling-wraps, little coats, little skirts... and a dozen and more bolts of soft-colored, small-flowered silk.

Madam Cheng said without looking up, "That's fine, then. Later she can play with our girl. Dasheng and Qian'er are both good people... living here is truly good. Say what you like of Guard Lane, it's like one family."

Master Cheng drew a breath, picked up the cold tea and drank a sip. "Yes... you've arranged it all for her, from one year old to her wedding day. And me? Su Bailian, I only get this one life, and do I deserve to be deceived by you the whole way through it?"

Madam Cheng's needle flew as if against time, and hearing Master Cheng's complaint she said, still without looking up, "For the next ten lifetimes I'll be your ox and your horse..."

Before she'd finished, Master Cheng flung the cup in his hand hard to the ground and hissed low, "I, I don't want you to be my ox and horse... Su Bailian, I don't want you to be my ox and horse... to live, is it not good to live?"

Madam Cheng's needle at last pricked the pad of her finger. She didn't cry out, only watched the beads of blood drip slowly onto the little coat...

And afterward she worked the drops of blood into a delicate red plum blossom.

In Yanjing, Chen Dasheng was on watch in a small court of the Great Liang palace when the Emperor suddenly called him before him, bestowed a full three cartloads of things, praised him lavishly, and only then told him, you're to be a father, hurry home and see to it, and pass on my congratulations to my brother for me, felicitate him on an heir at last...

There was meaning behind the Emperor's words, but Chen Dasheng was struck dumb, his head full of the things Qi Qian'er had said in all her different voices... He's called An'er, his eyes are like yours, round, and he loves to laugh, only a pity, you never saw him...

And now he was about to see him?

In that instant of father and son being one heart, Chen Dasheng pressed a hand to his chest and hurried out of the palace, but riding to the east gate he found he couldn't get out.

At the east gate, dozens of prison-carts stood waiting to enter the city. Chen Dasheng watched the stir a while, his mind steadied at last, and seeing someone he knew, called to Xie Wuhao, "Oh! Lord Xie's cracked a big case?"

Xie Wuhao rode over, but shook his head with a helpless look. "Big case, nothing. An old case long on the shelf! Does Marquis Chen remember White Stone Mountain of those years?"

At this Chen Dasheng's face changed all at once, his eyes turned fierce, and glaring at the prison-carts, at the numb-faced people sitting in them, he said, "So this is them?"

Xie Wuhao nodded. "That it is. Truly they've plagued our Jiusi Hall three whole years, and we've dug them out of the deep mountains and old forests at last, only a pity... small fry again... tsk! This fate of mine, a drudge's fate! No end to it... The chief culprits aren't among them, so what's the use of taking these? Just a heap of physicians without the strength to truss a chicken..."